In an era marked by advancements in space exploration and artificial intelligence, it is paradoxical that hunger remains unconquered. Despite significant strides in food production, equitable distribution through an effective food supply chain remains a challenge. A pivotal component of this chain is the Food Cold Chain (FCC), essential for maintaining food quality and safety from farm to fork. The FCC, originating in the 19th century with the advent of refrigeration for cross-border food transport, has transformed food logistics by transcending climatic and seasonal barriers. This article delves into the FCC's evolution, exploring its historical context, political dynamics and its critical role in addressing food security, cultural integration, and environmental impacts. The FCC's progression from a contentious technology to a vital infrastructure underscores its complex political landscape, highlighting the need for equitable and sustainable global governance to harness its full potential.

Keywords: Cold Chain, Sustainable Development, Food Supply, Refrigeration, Food Security

Download the full text PDF for viewing and using it according to the license of this paper.

Funding

None.

Conflicts of Interest:

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest to report regarding the present study.

References

FAO (Director). (2023, April 6). Reducing Food Loss and Waste Through Sustainable Food Cold Chains [Video recording]. https://www.fao.org/climate-change/resources/videos/detail/reducing-food-loss-and-waste-through-sustainable-food-cold-chains/en
WHO. (2023, September 16). Noncommunicable Diseases. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/noncommunicable-diseases
Dong, Y., Miller, S. A., & Keoleian, G. A. (2022). Estimating the Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Cold Chain Infrastructure in China from 2021 to 2060. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 31, 546–556. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2022.03.017
Si, Y. (2022). Agricultural Cold Chain Logistics Mode Based on Multi-Mode Blockchain Data Model. Computational Intelligence and Neuroscience, 2022, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/8060765
Sustainable Energy for All. (2022). Chilling Prospects: Tracking Sustainable Cooling for All 2022. Sustainable Energy for All. https://www.seforall.org/our-work/research-analysis/chilling-prospects-series/chilling-prospects-2022
UNEP & FAO. (2022). Sustainable Food Cold Chains: Opportunities, Challenges and the Way Forward. UNEP; FAO; https://doi.org/10.4060/cc0923en
UNEP. (2022, November 12). Amid Food and Climate Crises, Investing in Sustainable Food Cold Chains Crucial. https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/amid-food-and-climate-crises-investing-sustainable-food-cold-chains
Ghantous, N. (2022, November 29). Cool Bananas: Efficient Cold Chain Technology for a Clean Agriculture Boom. Energy Monitor. https://www.energymonitor.ai/sectors/heating-cooling/cool-bananas-efficient-cold-chain-technology-for-a-clean-agriculture-boom
Gray, A. (2021). ‘Milk Actually Comes from a Cow’: Ontario Dairy Farmers’ Reactions and Interventions with Consumers’ Milk Rifts as Third‐party Alienation. Journal of Agrarian Change, 21(3), 504–521. https://doi.org/10.1111/joac.12406
Li, H., & Pan, P. (2021). Food Waste in Developed Countries and Cold Chain Logistics. E3S Web of Conferences, 251, 03001. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202125103001
Shashi, S., Centobelli, P., Cerchione, R., & Ertz, M. (2021). Food Cold Chain Management: What We Know and What We Deserve. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, 26(1), 102–135. https://doi.org/10.1108/SCM-12-2019-0452
Yu, Z., Liu, Y., Wang, Q., Sun, L., & Sun, S. (2021). Research on Food Safety and Security of Cold Chain Logistics. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 647(1), 012176. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/647/1/012176
Darku, E. N. D., & Akpan, W. (2020). Selling Culture: A Buy Local Campaigns in the Ghanaian and South African Textile and Clothing Industries. Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy, 14(4), 643–662. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEC-09-2019-0088
D’Odorico, P., Carr, J. A., Davis, K. F., Dell’Angelo, J., & Seekell, D. A. (2019). Food Inequality, Injustice, and Rights. BioScience, 69(3), 180–190. https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biz002
Hu, G., Mu, X., Xu, M., & Miller, S. A. (2019). Potentials of GHG Emission Reductions from Cold Chain Systems: Case Studies of China and the United States. Journal of Cleaner Production, 239, 118053. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.118053
Mercier, S., Mondor, M., McCarthy, U., Villeneuve, S., Alvarez, G., & Uysal, I. (2019). Optimized Cold Chain to Save Food. In Saving Food (pp. 203–226). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-815357-4.00007-9
Brookie, K. L., Best, G. I., & Conner, T. S. (2018). Intake of Raw Fruits and Vegetables Is Associated With Better Mental Health Than Intake of Processed Fruits and Vegetables. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 487. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00487
Otero, G., Gürcan, E. C., Pechlaner, G., & Liberman, G. (2018). Food Security, Obesity, and Inequality: Measuring the Risk of Exposure to the Neoliberal Diet. Journal of Agrarian Change, 18(3), 536–554. https://doi.org/10.1111/joac.12252
Mercier, S., Villeneuve, S., Mondor, M., & Uysal, I. (2017). Time–Temperature Management Along the Food Cold Chain: A Review of Recent Developments. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, 16(4), 647–667. https://doi.org/10.1111/1541-4337.12269
Woods, R. J. H. (2017). Nature and the Refrigerating Machine: The Politics and Production of Cold in the Nineteenth Century. In J. Radin & E. Kowal (Eds.), Cryopolitics (pp. 89–116). The MIT Press. https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/10456.003.0010
Saif, A., & Elhedhli, S. (2016). Cold Supply Chain Design with Environmental Considerations: A Simulation-optimization Approach. European Journal of Operational Research, 251(1), 274–287. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2015.10.056
Freidberg, S. (2015). Moral Economies and the Cold Chain. Historical Research, 88(239), 125–137. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-2281.12076
Bronwen Morgan. (2014, August 22). Crowdfunding and Ownership in the Sharing Economy. https://clmr.unsw.edu.au/article/corporate-structure/social-enterprise/crowdfunding-and-ownership-in-the-sharing-economy
Smith, D., Miles-Richardson, S., Dill, L., & Archie-Booker, E. (2013). Interventions to Improve Access to Fresh Food in Vulnerable Communities: A Review of the Literature. International Journal on Disability and Human Development, 12(4). https://doi.org/10.1515/ijdhd-2013-0203
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. (2012, September 18). Vegetables and Fruits. The Nutrition Source. https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/what-should-you-eat/vegetables-and-fruits/
Freidberg, S. (2010). Freshness from Afar: The Colonial Roots of Contemporary Fresh Foods. Food and History, 8(1), 257–278. https://doi.org/10.1484/J.FOOD.1.100983
James, S. J., & James, C. (2010). The Food Cold-chain and Climate Change. Food Research International, 43(7), 1944–1956. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2010.02.001
Reichman, D. (2008). Justice at a Price: Regulation and Alienation in the Global Economy. PoLAR: Political and Legal Anthropology Review, 31(1), 102–117. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1555-2934.2008.00010.x
Likar, K., & Jevšnik, M. (2006). Cold Chain Maintaining in Food Trade. Food Control, 17(2), 108–113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2004.09.009
Freidberg, S. (2004). French Beans and Food Scares: Culture and Commerce in an Anxious Age. Oxford University Press, USA.
Goodman, D., & Redclift, M. (2002). Refashioning Nature: Food, Ecology and Culture (0 ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203414781
Wilk, R. R. (1999). ‘Real Belizean Food’: Building Local Identity in the Transnational Caribbean. American Anthropologist, 101(2), 244–255. https://doi.org/10.1525/aa.1999.101.2.244
Juric, B., & Worsley, A. (1998). Consumers’ Attitudes Towards Imported Food Products. Food Quality and Preference, 9(6), 431–441. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0950-3293(98)00027-5
Bélisle, F. J. (1984). Tourism and Food Imports: The Case of Jamaica. Economic Development and Cultural Change, 32(4), 819–842. https://doi.org/10.1086/451428
UN. (n.d.). The 17 Goals. United Nations. Retrieved 10 June 2024, from https://sdgs.un.org/goals

This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC license.

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Table of Contents

Understanding Food Cold Chain: Balance and a Sustainable Future